The Official History of Dunearn Secondary Technical School (DSTS)
The Original Badge The 2nd G Badge
History of DSTS- The Official Version
Dunearn Secondary Technical School (1964 - 1992)
"From Each His Best"
The School motto exhorts every students to do his best in everything that he does...
DSTS started in 1964 although it was officially opened on Friday, 14 May 1965, by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Toh Chin Chye, and witnessed by the then Education Minister, Mr Ong Pang Boon. The School lasted until June 1992 when it had to move out of its Hillcrest site to Bukit Panjang. With the move, the school was renamed to Greenridge Secondary School.
DSTS was sited on a small hill sandwiched between Linden Drive and Hillcrest Road. To gain access to the school, one either had to take a 10-minute walk up a winding path or to climb a 103 stepped staircase leading to the top of the hill. No wonder DSTS had produced such good athletes during the 1970s as the walk or the climb to the school daily was a natural exercise.
Speaking of good athletes, it brought to mind that DSTS was indeed quite excellent in its sports. DSTS athletes always excelled in District and National levels and training was naturally conducted by Mr Kunalan. Besides athletics, the school was also famous for its rugby. Some of the rugby players and track and field members not only represented the school in district and national levels, there were one or two who represented Singapore in rugby and athletics in the SEAP Games (later known as SEA Games in 1975) during 1970s. Tennis and Girls Hockey were also sports which the school had excelled in both levels.
The school was a technical school and had the best technical facilities available during that time. Other schools such as Raffles Institution, Anglo Chinese School, Raffles Girls Secondary School would send their students to DSTS campus for their technical lessons.
The School’s motto “From Each His Best” exhorts every student to do his/her best in everything that he/she does. “Best” is the willingness to do what one can, not only in the academic or intellectual fields but also in the social, intellectual and public field as well. In this area, it is pleasing to learn that some of its former students have become very successful, and to name a few, we do have a Member of Parliament, chief executives of MNCs, pilots, a renowned jockey in Singapore, prominent businessmen, entrepreneurs, etc.
Written By Annie Yeo
Aug 2004 for Reunion 2004
Dunearn Secondary Technical School (DSTS) was founded in 1964 was officially opened by then Deputy Prime Minister, Dr Toh Chin Chye on Friday, 14 May 1965.
The school was located at Hillcrest Road off Dunearn Road aqnd commanded an enchantingview of the lush surroundings. The building comprised of:
1. The main building which was a four storeyed block classroomns incorporating the library, Basic Electricity Workshop, Technical Drawing Room, Audio Visual Aids (AVA) Room, Administrative Office and Utility Room.
2. Two block of single storey classrooms below the canteen (from 1965 to 1977).
3. A single-storey Technical Block consisting of Metal Work and Wood Work Workshop adjoining to NCC Armoury and make shift Judo hall and the old canteen.
4. A single storey Science block of four laboratories fully equipped of the teachings of physic, chemistry and biology. with an extension which included Special rooms and staff rooms.
5. The School Hall was completed in late May 1977 that cost S$500,000 had the facilites for physical training, three badmnton courts and a stage.
Morning session started from 0720 hrsto 1255 hrs and 1255 hrs to 1830 hrs for afternoon session.
Mr Toh planted a tree to mark to mark the opening,
while Mr Ong Pang Boon, the Minister of Education on extreme left look on.
The first batch of students in 1964 was 900 strong.
The schools motto: "From Each His Best"
The word, "BEST" does not refer to intellectual ability alone. It does not mean distinctions and good grades in all subjects that you take, neither does it mean a first in position in class or the whole standard.
What it does mean that you give whatever you can offer to the best capability, whatever your limits maybe. We are aware that the limit to one's abilities varies from one person to another and we do not demand impossible or unreachable limits.
We only ask that you be willing to offer whatever you can, not only in the academic or intellectual fields but also in the social, intellectual and public fields as well!
You have pledged and promised to do your best to honour D.S.T.S. , to strive for the school's name and pride, to ensure glory for posterity and to be loyal, kind and true in all the things you do.
Let us hope that from today, if you have not done so in the past, you would stand up and practise what you have so solemnly pledged!
You have pledged yourself to the school, but what about the society and the world at large? It is necessary that you develop a sense of willingness and commitment as a member of the public!
Therefore, D.S.T.S. live up to your pledge!
Taken form school magazines in 1979
Tribute to the past principals of D.S.T.S.
1st Principal: Mr Hee Ah Ngot
1964-1968
2nd Principal: Mr Tan Choong Yan
1968-1978
3rd Principal: Mrs Kam Kum Wone
1979-1982
4th Principal: Miss Teo Choi Keng
1983
5th Principal: Mrs Yeo Lee Hua
1984-1987
6th Pricipal: Mr Law Ngee Sing
1988-1991Also the 1st Principal of GreenRidge Secondary School
According to the staff of the last batch of DSTS, MOE requested that the first "Dunearn" school leaves Hillcrest Road will have to change its name, as there were two "Dunearn" Secondary schools at that time. As National Junior College (NJC) was in the hurry to shift to Hillcrest, so DSTS took the lead to move. Hence Dunearn Secondary School keeps her name, while DSTS changed her name to GreenRidge Secondary School .
Upon the name change, the word "Technical" was omitted. The reason was to attract more girl students to the school as the perception of a technical school was that it offered technical subjects which most girls' parents would think it was unfeminine to attend such school.
I was also been informed by a pioneer teacher of DSTS that our alma mater original name would had been known as "Dunearn Hill Secondary Technical School" but they found the name too long and "Technical' is enough to differentiate usfrom the other Dunearn school.
A news paper clip dated 20 May 1992 from The 1st edition of GreenRidge Sec School magazine:
1992 - 1996 GreenRidge Secondary School
1997 - 2001 GreenRidge 21 (GR21)
GreenRidge Secondary School, nestling cosily in a gentle depression bordered by the BKE and the Bukit Panjang Ring Road was officially declared open on 16 July 1994 by Mr.Lee Yock Seng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Labour and MP for Sembawang GRC.
The school actually evolved from Dunearn Technical Secondary School. In June 1991, Dunearn Technical Secondary School was given a new identity and renamed GreenRidge Secondary School. In June 1992 the school re-sited to its present location on the perimeter of the Bukit Panjang New Town to serve it.
With good, dedicated teachers and up-to-date facilities, the school has continued to attract good cohorts of pupils from the Bukit Panjang New Town and other neighbouring housing estates.
GreenRidge is a single-session school with a student population of about 1200 and a teaching staff of about 60.
Our guiding light in both work and play is our motto "FROM EACH HIS BEST". With this principle guiding all our efforts, we hope to provide a sound, all-round education for all our pupils.
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Created on 08 June 2004 for The Grand Reunion 2004.
(1976 - 2001)
